Wayne Rooney to Star in BBC Football Quiz Podcast with Alex Brooker

Wayne Rooney will front a new BBC football competition podcast, Can You Beat Wayne Rooney?, with comedian Alex Brooker hosting a format built around the former Manchester United and England forward’s knowledge of the game.

Why the new format matters

The visualised podcast moves Rooney away from his recent television role as a match analyst and puts him at the centre of a challenge series. Celebrity opponents will test themselves against his recollection of football’s major moments, with the questions intended to prompt stories from his playing career.

Rooney’s experience across World Cups, European Championships and Champions League finals will provide much of the material. The programme will look back at significant matches and personalities, creating openings for memories of former team-mates, managers and dressing-room occasions.

It follows The Real Rooneys, the documentary series that focused on his home life, and comes after the BBC’s earlier The Rooney Show, whose final instalment aired in July.

The competitive angle has also been shaped by Rooney’s public wager with Erling Haaland. Rooney had said he would row across New York’s Hudson River if Norway beat Brazil at a World Cup, and completed the challenge after Norway’s 2-1 win. Haaland had called on him to honour the promise.

“Anyone who knows me knows I’m competitive, whether it’s on a football pitch, playing paddle or on a golf course and even rowing on the Hudson River,” Rooney said.

He said he had no intention of withdrawing from the Hudson River challenge after Haaland raised it following Norway’s victory over Brazil, adding that the podcast had been developed to reflect that side of his character.

Rooney said the questions could bring back forgotten moments from matches and dressing rooms, and promised “great guests”, humour and football discussion as the series revisits the recent history of the game.